Balancing graduate school and family

Tag: angry

Sorry to deliver some bad news, but I didn’t pass my dissertation defense and ended up dropping out of graduate school. All of this happened about 7 or 8 months ago. I didn’t even have the courage to even write about all of this because I was in denial and in a really bad place, physically and emotionally. I let down alot of people, most importantly, I let down my family. I didn’t say anything to anyone, like friends, co-workers, and family outside my immediate family (aunts, uncles, and cousins). The only people who knew were my parents and my boss. I thought it would be tough writing this blog, but so far, I’m not crying or not as angry.

I was angry and ashamed of myself when all of this unfolded. Between dealing with issues at the home front (please read this blog: Updates) which included the following:

Fighting for another chance for another dissertation defense with my department

Work life

Thinking back, I don’t even think my mental state was good. Everything was a fog, I felt like I was fighting with life everyday but I kept telling myself ‘I will get through this…just defend the dissertation and everything will be ok.’ I was 100% sure that I was going to pass and graduate. I imagined myself walking down the aisle with my PhD robe and see my parents all dolled up and proud of their daughter. BUT I was was wrong, completely wrong. Between October 2016 through January 2017, I was living day by day, trying to survive my own life. I was constantly worried between my own problems with school and family issues. I was literally in the eye of the storm, every fucking day, between October 2016 and January 2017.

I want to believe that everything happens for a reason. I want to truly believe that something good is going to come out of all this.

I’m currently dealing with the following:

credit card debt

student loans

my mental and physical health

trying to find part-time jobs for more income

trying to find a better full time job for more income

I promise, I will try to write more, but this blog was my first step to tell the world that I do not have a PhD.

I wish I can personally express to someone how I am feeling at this very moment.

I’m so angry the way my father is treated.

I’m so angry people can be so fucking arrogant and such assholes.

It’s been getting worse each day.

At times it is as if life is not fair, but nothing is fair. Can I have a minute to complain? I’m grateful for everything that I have, the bed I sleep in, the fact my parents have jobs (my dad has full-time job and my mom has a part-time job). I don’t mean to complain so much. But I wonder at times how does it feel to sleep peacefully? without worrying how your parents day is going to unfold the next day? I pray every day (literally) and every night that everything goes as smoothly as possible for my parents.

I wish I wouldn’t have to worry as much, but this takes me back when I was little kid. When I had to translate for my parents, I use to fear when my parents had to say something to someone and they wouldn’t understand. All of these fears keep creeping up on me again. Can I for once not worry about such things? I envy my peers and friends who don’t need to worry about such things.

Sorry people for writing such sad/angry blogs…but this is the way I feel now.